A physician unplugs for a week. You should, too.

Hello, my name is Sandy, and I’m a screenaholic. I’m incessantly plugged in and over-absorbed in my smartphone. Who texted? Who emailed? What might I miss if I’m not constantly connected to a five-inch touchscreen?

Like many of you, I’ve succumbed to our culture of screens and “now, now, now.” I’m moving at an unsustainable speed to bulldoze through tasks. My interactions with graphical interfaces are replacing interactions with actual people. Phone calls, handwritten notes, and face-to-face conversation are sacrificed to the screen gods. Instead of using people skills, I’m learning to send perfect strings of emojis. Instead of giving undivided attention to one person, I chat by text while simultaneously paying attention to everything else. I’m unable to be still. My relationships suffer because I’m distracted, and what I’m doing deteriorates because I’m rushed.